The prevalence of depressive disorders and the distribution of depressive symptoms in later life: A survey using Draft ICD-10 and DSM-III-R

Abstract

The point prevalence of depressive disorders was estimated in a sample of persons aged 70 years and over, which included both those living in the community and those in institutional settings. Lay interviewers administered the Canberra Interview for the Elderly to the subjects and their informants. The point prevalence of depressive episodes as defined by the Draft ICD-10 diagnostic criteria was 3.3%. The rate for DSM-III-R major depressive disorder was 1.0%. The latter prevalence rate is similar to those reported elsewhere for the elderly. Evidence is accumulating that older persons may indeed have low rates for depressive disorders at the formal case level. Possible reasons for this findin..